Breaking My Rules
by Claire's Demons
Summary: Ever since she was a child, Rogue has obediently lived by the boundaries of her parents. However, when a certain red-eyed Cajun shows up on Genosha, her life is turned upside down and she finds herself questioning the world she only thinks she knows. A ROMY romantic adventure in a slightly different timeline.
1. Prologue

**Breaking My Rules Prologue **

**WATXM-VERSE**

**Ever since she was a child, Rogue has obediently lived by the boundaries of her parents. However, when a certain red-eyed Cajun shows up on Genosha, her life is turned upside down and she finds herself questioning the world she thinks she knows. A ROMY romantic adventure. WIP**

_**Twenty-three years ago**_

Magneto gazed at the ship on the horizon.

If the mission had been successful, that ship would be carrying the key to his triumph.

If not... He would have to punish the fine warrior sent to accomplish the task.

He raised a hand and the ship's metal shell parted to reveal that same warrior. Upon close inspection with a pair of binoculars, he noticed that she was carrying a small bundle in her arms. He allowed himself a small victorious smile before schooling his face to stone once more- it would not do to have his subjects see the slightest shred of humanity in him. As their king, he must rule with an iron fist and heart.

He flicked his wrist and Mystique floated up to him via a metal platform. 'It is done. We have her,' she said, gingerly handing the bundle to Magneto. A small head poked out of the swaddling clothes and green eyes rested upon the two mutants. A chubby hand reached out for a surprised Mystique.

Magneto smiled again. If the child was showing affection to them, all the better. She must never know of her true parents, dead by Mystique's hand. She would be groomed as a Genoshian princess and warrior, assisting Magneto's plans for humans. The babe would grow up to become his ultimate weapon.

While Mystique tenderly stroked the babe's auburn-and-white hair, Magneto said quietly, 'Welcome to your new home, Rogue.'

_**Present time**_

Rogue was bored.

She had been staring at the same spot on the wall for the past ten minutes while her brain slowly died.

Rogue was _so, so, so bored._

She had been assigned to guard duty as a punishment for questioning her mother's orders. Raven had tried-and failed- to make the assignment seem important by informing Rogue that the thing she was guarding was none other than Erik's famous and also hideous helmet. (People didn't call him ol' Buckethead for nothing)

There wasn't really much to do except mentally take a hatchet to the crappy abstract painting on the wall. In her opinion, the painter must have simply dribbled blotches of mismatched paint onto the canvas before tacking on a 'classy' name and marketing it as art.

Rogue began to think about the past: her childhood and the important events in her life.

She had been raised by Erik and Raven. She'd always suspected that she wasn't their real daughter, because there was no way in _hell _that their physical features matched up. Erik had white hair for goodness' sake. Raven was blue-skinned and gold-eyed. None of it added up to the girl that was Rogue Lensherr. However, her parents constantly maintained that she was their flesh and blood, and Rogue just decided to let it go. She was stubborn and had a will of iron, but there was no point in arguing with her parents when they obviously weren't going to concede any information.

But if they weren't similar in looks, they certainly were in personality. Her parents had taught her to be strong ('If you fall, get up; don't you dare cry') and to fight. Rogue had been conscripted into the military at the age of fifteen. She had been apprehensive about that but she had been sure that it would only better her in the long run. At least, that was what Raven had told her.

Rogue's male peers privately mocked her for being just a young girl; they secretly looked down on her and would have done much worse had they not known her last name. (No one messes with the Genoshian royal family)

But the feisty Rogue was quick to show them how expertly her pretty face hid her fighting prowess. She had them all whipped into shape within three months. Nowadays, they respected her as a fellow comrade.

She had worked hard and rose quickly through the ranks to the position of Commander of the Talon Regiment- simply referred to as Talons, because let's face it, 'Regiment' is just dumb. Her unit specialized in sword-fighting and finesse. The team was seamless and absolutely deadly- the most dangerous of Magneto's army.

Unfortunately, things weren't going so well for Rogue's love life, or lack thereof. The first boy she'd ever kissed-Cody- had been put into a coma by her suddenly surfacing powers. As a result, Rogue had become terrified to touch anyone and she had never learnt how to control her powers, aside from mentally gagging the constantly talking psyches in her head. Raven had begged Rogue to try achieving total control but Rogue's fear of triggering the same effects had caused her to disobey her mother for the first time. She had refused to follow Raven's orders.

Raven had been furious and she'd publicly whipped poor Cody as soon as he'd awoken. Rogue had protested vehemently but there had been nothing else she could do.

Cody had avoided Rogue ever since out of terror. So had most other boys once the truth about Rogue's death touch spread. Well, actually, they were probably more afraid of the formidable Mystique. No one wanted to cross her by messing around with her daughter.

Rogue's moody thoughts were interrupted when a strange feeling caused a shiver to go down her spine and the hairs on the back of her neck prickled. It was like someone was watching her. She cautiously looked around but saw no one.

From the shadows, a pair of scarlet eyes curiously watched her.  
**(X)-(X)-(X)**  
The professional side of Gambit urged him to proceed towards Magneto's throne room to ask for lodging. The ladies' man in him was roaring for him to try courting the pretty guard at the door- poison skin or not.

He knew who she was: Rogue Lensherr, one of the three Genoshian princesses and also the leader of an essential part of Magneto's military. She was highly skilled in sword-fighting and hand-to-hand combat. She was known for being a tough cookie, nonchalantly hanging out with the biggest and baddest of Magneto's bodyguards- unlike her wimpish, rarely-seen sister Lorna or her haughty _other _sister Wanda. _A real woman, and a beautiful one at that, _he noted of Rogue.

But he shouldn't let himself get distracted by a beautiful girl. He was a man on a mission- sent to spy on Magneto and acquire information. To do that, he decided that he would have to charm a woman close to Magneto and obtain valuable information from her. It would be easy for a ladies' man like him, especially with his hypnotic mutation. Now all he had to do was pick a target: Rogue, Lorna, Wanda, Blink, or Mystique. Mercury and Scanner probably didn't have enough security clearance. Rogue was not a feasible option as he couldn't touch her, and physical intimacy was a big part of seduction. The fierce ladies Mystique, Wanda and Blink would have his head propped up on their fireplaces if he tried his tricks on them. So, that left... The overprotected daughter, Lorna. _Well, I'd better get started then_. Gambit continued towards his destination, but not without one last glance at the stunning but untouchable girl at the door.

_If you didn't have your powers, I would have gone after you instead, belle._

**A/N: Eh… Remy seems a bit creepy in the last part. But he isn't, trust me. **

**I like where this story is going! Right now, I'm writing the next chapter. **

**More reviews would make me happier. A happier me= faster updates. Faster updates= happier reviewers. Happier reviewers= more reviews. More reviews… **


	2. Chapter 1- Masquerade Part 1

**Masquerade Part 1**

**Disclaimer: Oops, I didn't do one for the previous chapter. So here it is: If I challenged Stan Lee to a Boxhead match, do you think I could win the rights to the X-Men? Cause, you know, I've spent hours killing Devils and Zombies with Emma Quinn and co. I am so awesome with a shotgun and charges (BOOM). In virtual life, of course… in fact, it doesn't even count as a life because I have died in there…**

**Note: Rating has been bumped up due to some content in this chapter. **

**Also, I know I said this wouldn't be up until next week, but I was dying to get it out (Emma Quinn: That's what _she _saiiiiiidddddd) as it had been sitting around on my computer for days… What can I say, heh, I love this story so freaking much. If you love it as much as I do, leave a review ^_^ **

In a few weeks, there would be a masquerade ball held at the Velvet, one of Genosha's many majestic ballrooms. Before that, there would be a public military exercise at the Grand Stadium. In the spotlight would be Rogue's Talon Regiment with their flashy swords that did much more than just intimidating opponents. Indeed, the craftsmanship of the weapons was exceedingly fine and skilled. Each sword was custom-tailored to each of the Talons.

The guests-of-honour at both publicity events were Bolivar Trask and Graydon Creed. Both events were held to impress them.

Gambit could not fathom why Magneto would invite two mutant-haters to a 'mutie-packed slum of an island' as Creed so fondly put it. However, security was beyond beefed-up and the Genoshian citizens had Magsy's assurances that all would be fine. Gambit was sure that there was some kind of evil genius partnership going on behind the scenes.

Anyway, he'd made up his mind to go to both the ball and the army display. Lorna, as a princess, would be there. Besides, he was interested in Talon's performance.

Well, to be honest, he was interested in Rogue. Secretly, he thought that the skittish Lorna couldn't hold a candle to her. Lorna was shy and blushed if Gambit so much as smiled at her. Rogue, on the other hand... She was feisty and spirited; two qualities which Gambit felt were _very _desirable in a woman.

She'd paid him a visit on his first day in Genosha.

'As a guest of the Republic,' she'd rattled off without so much as a friendly hello, 'you are expected ta stay away from the private wing of the castle, which includes the rooms of high-ranking officials such as mahself, Lorna, Wanda, Mystique, Magneto an' Blink. There were some more names and stuff to saybut Ah can't really seem to remember them.' The voice she used for her last sentence was completely different from the dry monotone she had for the rest of the speech.

'So y' mère made y' memorize dat, chère?' he inquired.

'Yep. Boring, ain't it? And Ah'm not ya _chère.'_

Gambit decided to ignore that last part. 'There's un place I want special access t', though.'

'An' where would that be?' she asked, raising a perfectly arched eyebrow.

'Y' bed.'

She growled and swung a balled fist at his chest. Despite the armor he was wearing, the blow still hurt and he fell back onto the bed with an 'oomph'. Damn, she had a mean right hook.

She cocked her hip and folded her arms across her chest, giving him a defiant look. 'Ya were sayin', Swamp Rat?'

'Swamp Rat?'

'Ya gave meh a nickname, Ah should give ya one in return.'

Gambit smiled at the memory. Rogue was certainly full of fire, and it definitely served to increase the attraction he felt towards her. It was a pity that Mystique tried to keep it bottled up, suppressing it. It was like the blue mutant was trying to brainwash Rogue, turning her into yet another one of Magneto's hopelessly devoted soldiers, a la Blink. The pixie-like teleporter practically worshipped the ground that Magneto walked on.

It just gave Gambit yet another concrete reason to take Magneto down. He didn't want to see Rogue transformed like that.

**(X)-(X)-(X) ****  
**Gambit showed up at the Stadium in a nice tux that complimented his body well. (Of course, he was of the opinion that he would look good in anything)

He gazed up at the highest and most comfortable of the seats. There sat all the 'high-ranking officials', as Rogue had put it. Her seat was empty, as she was busy preparing for the performance. Next to her vacated seat sat Trask. Beside him was Creed.

Lorna caught his eye and smiled at him. He watched as she excused herself and made her way down to his side. 'Hey,' she said softly.

'Bonjour,' he replied, ensuring that his voice was low and husky, just the way most femmes liked it. Lorna's face flushed crimson.

They talked about some other stuff, with Gambit working his charm as much as possible. Her walls were crumbling as she opened up to him.

Gambit suddenly realized that maybe he didn't really want to break her heart (because he would have to, when he escaped the island). She was a good woman, with a pristine heart and soul that he didn't want to taint. He didn't have any genuine romantic feelings for her, though- what he felt for her was more like a brother-sister protectiveness.

_When did I start becoming soft?_

A drum roll started, signaling the start of the event. Lorna hurried back to her father and Gambit settled down in his seat to watch the performance.

The ever-stunning Dazzler opened the show with a magnificent light show that-ahem- _dazzled_ the audience. Multi-colored fireworks ricocheted off the walls to raucous applause. Her soprano lilt perfectly matched the dreamy ambient song she was singing. It sounded sort of like something Björk would perform.

Next up on the programme were the Mockingjays **(1)** with their strong bows and straight arrows. Their strength lay towards archery-every unit of Magneto's elite army had its own specialty. Their arrows flew true; their bowstrings produced a satisfying _twang! _when an arrow was launched from it, and overall they did an awesome job at amazing the spectators. Of course, there was the classic trick of tying a person to a tree and placing an apple upon his head... But the Jays had blindfolded their leader Longshot before allowing him to fire the arrow. It sliced through the air and pierced the apple's very core. The Jays left the arena to enthusiastic cheers.

Pyro suddenly dashed out and threw fireballs before being forcefully evicted by Wanda. **(2)** Most of the audience was laughing, in contrast to the grim look on Magneto's face. _That Aussie is in for it now, _thought Gambit, who was kind of wishing one of the fireballs had flown towards Magneto.

The other units came and went.

Finally, at long last, the display that most people had been anticipating: the Talons. All around Gambit, mutants sat up a bit straighter in their seats, eager for the Regiment that had been touted as the most impressive of all.

Rogue strolled out into the limelight, hips swaying in an admirable way. Her twin sabers, sheathed and strapped to her back, gleamed and shone. She barked out a command and her troops fell into line.

The sparring began.

The viewers gasped in admiration as each Talon pulled off special stunts of his or her own. A resounding applause reverberated through the grandstands when Psylocke pulled off a tough twist-and-turn move to escape from a headlock. Even Gambit, who'd never so much as _heard of _Errol Flynn, had to marvel at the display of power that the Talons were packing. Their agility and dexterity could've matched his own.

His eyes were mainly on Rogue, though. She was up against her own second-in-command, Deadpool. Their movements were practically a blur and Gambit had a hard time keeping track.

Rogue sidestepped to Deadpool's right, causing him to swiftly defend that side. But it had been a trick; she feinted a swipe at his right before flanking his left and stabbing at that less-defended side. Unfortunately for her, though, he'd seen the feint and quickly parried her swords with his katanas before sending a flurry of blows at her. She responded in kind, expertly blocking his weapons with her own and dealing a few cuts here and there.

Rogue was perfect on the battlefield, moving in complete harmony with her blades. Gambit saw the way she swung her sabers and the grin she flashed after every successful hit. In battle, she cast off the cold shell Mystique had made for her and let her true self shine through. Gambit's growing attraction to the breathtaking warrior steadily grew.

Then, like a man emerging from a foggy dream, he blinked and suddenly remembered that he still had a task to accomplish. He weaved through the seats and snuck up to the Top Box (as the Harry Potter geek in him insisted on calling it) **(3)**. There was another avenue of information besides Lorna; why not spy on Magneto directly? So he hid in a dark corner of the Box and listened carefully.

Trask said something he didn't like to hear.

'That Rogue babe would definitely be an animal in bed.'

Creed laughed unpleasantly. 'There's only one way to find out. You're not gonna have any competition from me, though. She's a dirty mutie, so I wouldn't touch her if I were being paid to do it.'

Remy's eyes glowed blood-red (a fitting comparison, given what he was planning for Trask and Creed) and he charged a handful of cards. His anger at hearing Rogue spoken of that way dominated all other thoughts.

At the last moment, though, he came to his senses and reluctantly retracted the energy. He couldn't jeopardize the mission like that, as much as he wanted to blow Trask's head off. Besides, Magneto knew about his powers- he had been submitted to a complete grilling by Magsy- so he would be the prime suspect should Trask find himself missing some body parts due to an explosion. Gambit would be sent away immediately.

Nevertheless, he still felt an urge to wallop Trask to a sorry pulp. How could someone talk about Rogue as a- as a mere _object_? Were Trask and Creed lacking the humanity that they abused mutants for not having?

_Hypocrites. Dirty, filthy liars. _

Gambit snarled and left, still fighting the impulse to go back and beat the bloody crap out of the two mutant-haters. He glanced at his watch: 7.09 p.m. Still 51 minutes to go before the ball.

He lit a cigarette and leaned against the wall, alone with his thoughts.

_This is going to be a long wait. _

**(X)-(X)-(X)**  
When the clock struck eight, people decked out in finery waltzed into the magnificent ballroom. 'Ooh's and 'Aah's rose from the crowd as they remarked about the sparkling gold ceiling and the carved silver support-pillars. The whole scene looked like something out of a fairytale; people wore glittering masks and elaborate costumes- there were charming women in flowing, bejeweled dresses and handsome gentlemen twirling their ladies in time to the soothing music. The expensive-looking backdrop further added to the illusion.

However, it wasn't as perfect as it pretended to be. Rogue was no dreamy princess awaiting her Prince Charming.

Her self-proclaimed 'Prince' was busy making unwanted advances to her.

Bolivar Trask harassed Rogue with crude innuendos and even brushed his hand against her rear. She fought the urge to wipe that perverted expression off his face by slamming it into the wall (preferably one with painfully raised and sharp surfaces).

Raven and Erik either didn't care that their daughter was being groped, or they were dead.

Raven always kept a close eye on Rogue in such public places. If any male so much as smiled at Rogue or approached her, Raven would interfere. Erik sometimes did, too.

However, at that moment, Trask was blatantly feeling Rogue up and her parents hadn't swooped down on him.

Rogue felt alone and strangely afraid -the Rogue was _never _afraid just because of a man- as she skirted the throng, trying to get away from that dirty lecher. She barely watched where she was going and ended up smacking into her mother. 'Raven!' she cried out in relief. 'That son of a-' but she never got to finish her sentence as Raven grabbed her arm and whirled her around to face Trask. He leered at Rogue's chest, not even bothering to hide his greedy expression. 'Why don't you dance with Bolivar here, Rogue darling?' Raven said loudly. It was clearly an invitation to Trask: _hey, lookie, my daughter's free, you can have her. _Rogue felt repulsed by that thought.

'Mama, I-' she was once again cut off when Raven hissed in her ear, 'It's for the best of _your_ kingdom, Rogue. It'll help in the deal we're cutting.' Rogue was about to open her mouth and ask what kind of hellish deal it was, but Raven shoved her in Trask's direction.

'I, um, maybe we shouldn't...' Rogue stammered. _Stammered? I'm The Rogue. I shouldn't stammer._

But Trask was advancing towards her, and she had nowhere to run.

If she disobeyed her mother, it wouldn't be beneficial to Genosha as Trask would refuse to help Erik. If she _did _let him get his filthy paws over her... Rogue shuddered at the nauseating thought. What was she going to do? The dilemma made her head ache and she couldn't think clearly. _I hate politics._

Thankfully, at that very moment, some divine intervention stepped in.

**Yay! Leaving you with a cliffie! :D But i****t's quite obvious who the 'divine intervention' is... **

**(1) Personally, I'm not a crazy Hunger Games fan, but I know some of my friends like it (that's you, Silver!) so I put a reference in here. The original was Mockingbirds. **

**(2) In WATXM, Pyro seemed afraid of Magneto, but I wanted an insane, X-Men Evolutionish Pyro. What fun is there in having him frightened of Buckethead? Oh yeah, I might flesh out some JONDA bits in future chapters. :) What? I like John+Wanda too!**

**(3) Avelin, Silver, OreoOverload I hope you like this bit- yes, you three HP fans you! :D**

**A/N: I know all that stuff about the Regiments was mostly filler and not too important to the plot, but bear with me because there will be lots of ROMY in the next chapter. Besides, I liked my idea for the various units :) it was quite interesting, to me.**

**I know Psylocke was working with the Brotherhood in 'Time Bomb' but I decided to shift her here. The reason why will be explained later, hopefully. If I can't fit it into the plot, I'll put it in an A/N.**


	3. Chapter 2- Masquerade Part 2

**Masquerade Part 2**

**Major 'Aw!' moments in this chapter. :) Yuppie, plenty of fluff here!**

**10 followers and 3 favorites? Yay! Now, if only I had as many reviews...**

* * *

Gambit wandered aimlessly among the crowd, wondering if he should go find Lorna, all the while fending off women eager to throw themselves at him. Normally, he would be proud of himself for being such a chick magnet, but on that occasion, he just felt annoyed.

He glanced around, hoping to spot Lorna somewhere in the crowd. Instead, he saw something he didn't like.

Rogue was nervously backing away from Trask, while he leered and tried to corner her against a wall. Raven just stood to a side, not helping, not caring. Even from a distance, Gambit could sense Rogue's fear and apprehension.

A surge of nausea overwhelmed him. What _wouldn't _he give to knock Trask three ways into next Tuesday?

Swiftly, he slid through the throng of people and went to Rogue's side. 'May I have dis dance, Milady?'

Through the eyeholes in her mask, her green orbs were wide and scared. Her mother had 'protected' her from boys for so long, they were the only things she was afraid of.

He smiled gently at her. Sneaking a peek at Trask, he noted with satisfaction that the other man's face was rapidly turning purple with rage. _But you can't do anything without making a scene and embarrassing Magneto. You wouldn't want that, would you? _Indeed, several people were already looking curiously at them. If Trask humiliated Magneto by forcing himself on Rogue, diplomacy would go right out of the window.

'Excuse me, but I was here first,' snapped Trask, talking about Rogue like she was just a trophy for them to fight over. Gambit let a sneer cross his face at that thought. To him, Rogue was a person, unlike what Trask obviously thought of her.

'Oui, but I asked mademoiselle first,' Gambit said smoothly. He offered his hand to Rogue. 'Shall we?'

She gave him a grateful smile. 'We shall,' she replied in that melodious Southern voice of hers.

Ignoring the fuming Trask, he put an arm around her waist and led her out to the dance floor. She flushed when he put a hand on the small on her back and scooted closer to her. 'Relax, petit. I won't bite- unless y' tell me t', of course,' he added with a grin. Her cheeks flushed cherry red and he couldn't resist continuing, 'For as long as y' want.'

She kicked his shin, causing him to wince. 'Ya so full of innuendos.'

He chuckled.

She stared into his eyes and frowned, recognition passing over her face 'Ah know who you are,' she said slowly. 'Ya that sick-minded guy Ah met a few weeks ago... Well, we meet again. Unfortunately for meh.'

'Chère, y' wound m' heart,' he sighed dramatically.

She laughed at that. To him, it was a beautiful sound, a reminder that there were some things on Earth that were worth living for.

They swayed in time to the slow music and he wound his left hand into her sweet-smelling hair while his right hand completely encircled her waist. She buried her face in his warm chest. _He smells like Southern spices._

He danced with her many more times, not talking but just holding her close. She relaxed against him and closed her eyes.

His very presence comforted here; and that knowledge frightened her more than she cared to admit.

On a long, mournful note, the band ended their ballad. Rogue broke away from his arms, needing a moment alone to deal with her thoughts. 'Ah'm just gonna go get some fresh air,' she said in reply to his hurt expression when she pulled away from him.

He nodded and watched her walk towards one of the great wooden doors leading to the balconies, secretly desiring another dance with her.

He felt sorry for himself.

Here he was, at Genosha because of some professional business, and within months of being at the palace, he went and let himself be infatuated with the target's sister.

To borrow the lingo of the younger generation, _I facepalm myself._

* * *

The refreshing night breeze blew Rogue's long hair about. She didn't notice; she was much too busy having a mental debate with herself. Her psyches, joining the retarded conversation, didn't help either.

_I obviously like him, so why not go for the kill?_ reasoned the daredevil part of Rogue.

**Yeah! He's so cute**, sighed Kitty, an honest-to-God romantic soul.

_That's crazy! He's obviously a major player and besides, I don't even know him. Who is he exactly? Does he have an ulterior motive? _questioned the logical, sensible Rogue.

**Sometimes, it doesn't hurt to try**,whispered Dust, a shape-shifting mutant Rogue had accidentally absorbed some months back.

_Raven wouldn't say the_ _same_, snapped an affronted-sounding Blink. _You must listen to your parents, Rogue. They know what's best for you, and they love you._

'Guys, shut up,' muttered Rogue, holding her aching head in her hands. **(1)** Where was a bottle of Advil when you need one?

'Somet'ing de matter, chère?' came a low, accented voice from behind her. Arms banded with muscles encircled her waist and a masculine chin rested upon her shoulder.

Rogue shoved Gambit away, despite secretly enjoying the feel of his hard planes sinfully pressed up against her. 'Nothin', was her eloquent reply.

He raised his eyebrows. 'Suuuure,' he said slowly in a tone that clashed with his words (well, in this case, _word_).

Suddenly and unexpectedly, Rogue found herself spilling one of her biggest secrets to him. 'Mah psyches are giving meh trouble,' she explained, wondering if she sounded as insane as she felt. 'Yeah, Ah _do _have voices inside mah head, in addition ta poison skin. Sign meh up for the freak show.'

He chuckled, and Rogue hated how the sound made her heart flutter.

'Y' not a freak,' he said softly, and the way his ruby eyes glowed with passion **(2)** when he said that made an involuntary shiver caress Rogue's body.

'Y' a belle, strong warrior, and oh- did I mention, y're hot?'

She chuckled; he really knew how to make her feel better. 'So ya're comfortable with talkin' ta someone who's got multiple _multiple _personality issue disorders?' she asked him, emphasizing that extra _multiple._

'If it's a belle femme like y', not at all, non,' he replied with a grin.

She shook her head in a resigned manner and turned back to the serene scenery.

The balcony was facing the Diamante Sands beach, and beyond it was the sparkling sea. Or was it an ocean? Rogue didn't know. She'd never been anywhere out of Genosha, so for all she knew, it could have been smack in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

'Penny for your thoughts,' said Gambit gently.

'They're not worth that much, sugar,' she murmured. 'Ah'm just wondering... What's out there? Ah mean, is there any more to mah life than Genosha?'

'Thinking deep, aren't we?' he teased, and they both laughed.

Another silence fell, but it wasn't an awkward one, more like the kind that occurs between old friends that have known each other for a long time and are completely comfortable with each other.

_But I don't know this man_, thought Rogue.

She whirled around suddenly and said to him, 'Tell me your real name.'

He looked as startled as she felt; neither one of them had seen that coming.

He couldn't risk disclosing his identity. When he escaped the island, Rogue would go after him, and giving her his real name would only aid her. Thus, he couldn't expose himself like that. Though it weighed heavily on his conscience, he would have to lie to Rogue.

'It's Etienne.'

A wry smile turned up the corners of her pink lips. She knew he was lying, he knew that she knew, but neither of them did anything about it. 'What's y'rs, chere?'

She hesitated for a moment, and that was his cue to stop asking. 'Never mind,' he said, dropping the subject. He wanted to kick himself.

Of _course _she wasn't going to give him personal information. No-one knew her real name; Raven and Erik refused to tell. Gambit shouldn't have asked. He was on Genosha, land of traitors and other bad types. You couldn't trust anyone there. Rogue was just applying the same policies to Gambit.

The resulting pregnant pause was followed by twelve chimes of the grand clock overlooking Genosha.

'Midnight,' he murmured, turning his head to gaze at her moonlight-illuminated profile. 'Y' gonna let m' take off y'r mask?'

She remembered reading somewhere that it was a tradition, but she couldn't be too sure. 'Sure.'

Her mask was a bright shade of green (_Emerald, _Raven had said) and it was studded with tiny silver diamonds. Gambit's was black with red trimmings- no jewels. His eyes alone were the adornments to his costume, deep pools of ruby and onyx that complimented his dress shirt.

He reached over and began to undo the strings of her mask. All the while, his beautiful eyes were upon her own, making her knees quiver and her face feel hot. His (gloved- when did he put on gloves? She hadn't seen him do that) fingers worked their magic, softly sliding against her cheeks and her lips with deliberate slowness. The rosy flush on her face spread to the rest of her body as she tilted her head back, her lips drawn to his like a paper clip to a magnet.

He tossed the mask away and cupped the side of her face, responding to the merry sparkle in her eye. He couldn't help himself; he made as if to kiss her and she flinched, pushing him away and wrapping her arms around herself like she was trying to protect herself. The almost-magical spell over them had been broken.

'Désole,' he muttered; afraid that he had hurt her.

Before he could react, she ripped off his mask to expose his face to her.

Her eyes raked hungrily over his features. She hadn't gotten a good look at him when she'd visited him all those weeks ago… _Damn, _he was smokin' hot. Rogue was willing to admit that much to herself.

Her gaze landed on his tempting lips and she unconsciously licked her own. He didn't miss this motion- his eyes followed the path of her pink tongue as it left a trail of wetness in its wake. He swallowed.

'Did y' mouth go dry from fear or somethin'?'

'Why would Ah be afraid of ya?'

'M' eyes. People say they're de mark 'f de Devil himself.' Gambit said in very matter-of-factly, as though he himself had started to believe it. Without the mask, his red orbs stood out in vivid contrast to his skin.

Rogue scoffed at that. 'That's stupid,' she snapped, and before she could stop herself, she added, 'Ah lahke your eyes.'

He blinked twice, looking bewildered; no one had ever said that to him before. Even back home, in New Orleans, some of his Guild still flinched at the mere sight of him. His arrogant façade slipped, and she saw his insecurity about his eyes for the first time. He cleared his throat before his expression melted into that languid smirk again. 'Merci, chère.'

A strand of brown hair was blown into his eyes and she smoothed it away with her silk-encased fingers- she was wearing white opera gloves as a precaution against her fatal mutation.

'Sorrah. It was a reflex,' she explained rather self-consciously. She moved her hand away but he caught it and softly brushed his lips against her knuckles. A flaming blush rose to her cheeks but she denied her hormones and snatched her hand away. **(3)**

Before she could come up with an angry response to his advances, a voice interrupted them.

'Rogue? Mystique is looking for you. She requests your presence in the ballroom now,' Scanner opened the balcony doors and poked her head in. Instantly, as though struck by a lightning bolt, Rogue and Gambit jumped apart, the electricity between them lost. Scanner schooled her face to stone, pretending she hadn't seen anything.

'Uh, sure, I'm coming,' Rogue replied, abashed at being caught in such a compromising position. It had been years since that had happened- the last time had been with Cody, who now fled from the very sight of Rogue. Would that happen with her and Gambit? There was chemistry, of course, but… She'd better not let anything happen between the two of them, no matter how much charm the Cajun exulted.

Determined, Rogue turned to leave, but was halted when Gambit placed his hand on her shoulder and spun her around. 'Wait,' he whispered, before making a bold move.

He placed the Ace of Hearts between his lips and Rogue's. Then he kissed her.

She froze up in shock at the feel of the cold card pressed against her mouth and the hand slipping around her waist. She couldn't feel his lips (directly), and thank God for that- what would she have done if she had? Kiss him back?

Kitty Pryde's voice inside her mind squealed loudly, breaking Rogue out of her Cajun-induced trance.

Rogue placed both hands on Gambit's muscled chest and roughly pushed him away. 'Ya- ya dirty Swamp Rat!' She would have continued ranting, but at that moment, Scanner coughed a loud 'Ahem! And Rogue's attention was directed towards her instead.

Paying Gambit one last glare, she turned on her heel and left with the blonde Acolyte.

* * *

Raven's anxiety and anger subsided only when Rogue reappeared in the ballroom, sans mask, which didn't really matter to Raven- the important thing was her daughter.

When that Gambit thief had won a dance with the princess, Raven had suppressed an urge to break his jaw. She knew all about his flirtations. First, he'd tried to chat Lorna up, and now he was going for Rogue? That guy was definitely a player and worth keeping an eye (and maybe the laser of a automatic gun) on. To hell with him. She would _never _allow him to get cozy with her favourite daughter, Rogue.

Her instructions were clear: bring Rogue up as a trained and skilled soldier, with emotional walls around her and a heart so frigid it wouldn't have been out of place in Antartica. Rogue Lensherr was supposed to be emotionless and cold.

But now, Rogue had a mischievous glint in her eyes and a renewed spring in her step. Her normally pale cheeks had a rosy tint to them.

Raven was infuriated. She was determined that Rogue would never get involved with any boy, ever. Especially not that good-for-nothing rascal Gambit.

Oh, yes. Raven would make sure of it.

Even if it was the last thing she did.

* * *

**(1) That's what **_**he **_**said... Oops. Emma Quinn is rubbing off on me. Emma!**

**(2) Not literally, of course.**

**(3) SilverShadowWriter, this part is for you. In response to the 'KISS KISS KISS KISS!' you are surely shouting now, 'Um… Maybe? Just wait :) They will kiss at least thrice in this story!' **

**Next update: By next Friday because I've already written Chapters 4 and 5 in my notebook. Yeah, free periods in class are good for _something_. **

**Please review. It's my first try at writing drama and I want to know how I'm doing. Too little plot? Too simple vocabulary? Typos? :) Let me know!**


	4. Chapter 3- Surprises

**Surprises**

**Come on, people! Almost 20 reviews! :D**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed, especially the usual suspects- Silver, tokipocky…**

**Toki! Where are you? The last chapter hasn't gotten a peep from you! *gasp***

**Some parts of this chapter have been adapted (read: blatantly stolen) from the WATXM episode, _Aces and Eights. _However, I changed it a little bit to fit my story… Sorry to anyone who isn't pleased by my use of creative license.**

* * *

The next day, if anyone had stood in the Genoshian royal garden and stared up at the third storey window above them, they would have spotted a certain thief sitting on his window ledge, absent-mindedly chucking glowing cards into the bushes while staring blankly into the distance. Of course, he didn't really see anything; he was too busy reminiscencing about the events of the previous night.

He'd been up since four, unable to sleep due to the thoughts swirling around in his mind. He kept thinking about that fateful moment on the balcony when he'd kissed Rogue.

What had he been _thinking? _If she had absorbed him, his cover would have been blown and all hell would have broken loose once she learned of his dark secret. Granted, the skin-on-skin contact had been through a playing card, but still… If he hadn't been so cautious, he might have lost his mind completely and actually kissed her.

What unique trait did she have that made him completely lose himself around her?

He remembered the tempting way she had nervously licked her lips when she was talking to him. If he closed his eyes and concentrated hard enough, he could almost fancy that he felt her lush mouth press against his as she gracefully let herself melt into his arms.

He would taste her sweet lips, taking his time with that sinful body of hers.

Gambit inwardly groaned at the dangerous direction in which he was thinking- he really _didn't _need that lust tainting his thoughts and risking his job.

But who was he to want Rogue Lensherr, really?

Not that he had doubts about his ability to seduce and tease her, but he was distracting himself and she was simply just another job- or at least, that was how he wished he could see her as. His plan all along had been to move in, swipe the necessary info and get the heck off Genosha before people started to become suspicious. He was supposed to be a mere ghost, dropping in on his targets' lives and vanishing afterwards, leaving no trace except shame and humiliation. That was the way of the Thief; the Code of his Thieves' Guild.

So what in tarnation was he doing, dallying around with Rogue?

A flash of movement near the rose hedges caught his eye and broke him out of his reverie.

Lorna, basket hanging off one wrist, was busy cutting yellow roses from the shrubs and tossing them into her woven basket. Probably for some flower arrangement in one of the many crystal vases that Magneto had pampered her with.

There was a lone red bud at the very top of the thorny hedge. The drops of dew on it glowed in the morning sunlight, making the whole flower glow in an almost surreal way. Lorna reached up for it, stretching her whole body and vainly trying to obtain it, but failing.

The whole scene looked picture-perfect like a fairytale come alive. A beautiful girl in a flowing dress, ethereal flowers with their vibrant petals completely unfurled, and the peace and quiet of the morning. Gambit let himself revel in the escapism that the quiet moment offered, before seizing the opportunity for yet another move on the unwitting princess.

He charged up a card and steadied his favored throwing arm (the right, although the left was capable too, in case of an emergency). _Trois, Deux, Un… _The magenta projectile was launched through the air and he held his breath in nervous anticipation, although there was no real need; all of his shots were perfect ones.

The card sliced through the stalk of the rose, and it fell into Lorna's outstretched hand. She looked up in surprise and smiled when she saw him wave at her from his perch at his window. If she hadn't swooned before, she certainly did when Gambit gave her a sly wink.

He leapt off the ledge and landed gracefully on his feet, as elegant as a feline. Pulling another rose out of his sleeve, but making it seem like the flower had appeared in mid-air, he held the flower between his teeth and bowed low with a sultry 'Bonjour, mon jolie chère.'

Lorna shyly curtsied in response.

He bestowed the rose upon her, flashing a charming grin at her blush. She was falling for him, hard and fast.

But his attention was diverted when he spotted a slender silhouette, sketchbook in hand, disappearing into the distance.

'Excuez-moi, petit,' he said with a suave smile to make up for his slightly hurried tone. 'Why don't y' wait f' m' in de foyer?'

She raised an eyebrow but scurried off all the same, and Gambit turned to pursue Rogue.

'Roguey!' he yelled, sprinting to catch up with the girl ahead of him.

'What?!' she demanded waspishly, spinning to face him and accidentally whacking him across the face with her auburn hair, causing him to wince. **(1) **She was still seething because of what had happened the night before and because of something she'd discovered in her room that morning. 'Why the hell did ya leave an Ace of Hearts on mah bedside drawer? How did ya even get into mah room anyway?' She may have been livid, but to Gambit, she still looked beautiful. Well, maybe that was because he could never see her as ugly.

He leaned against a pillar and started to rapidly shuffle one of the many decks of cards hidden over his body. 'I'm a t'ief, chère. Y' jus' lucky I didn't decide t' put it in y' underwear drawer.'

She stormed towards him and grabbed the front of his trench coat, forcefully shoving him up against the pillar.

'Don't ya _dare, _Cajun. And what were ya _thinking _last night? Why did ya kiss meh? Ah could've killed ya!'

'Wow, Rogue, I didn't know y' cared.'

'Ah don't,' she said furiously. 'But if ya die, not only will Ah have ta deal with mountains of paperwork, but Ah will also have thoughts of ya runnin' through mah head.'

'How'd that be any different from now?' he asked with a smirk.

'Ya're an idiot,' she snapped, abruptly letting him go and turning her back on him. If he put his hands on her again, she would consider slapping him.

She curled down under a tree and he sat down beside her, earning him a dark look.

She flipped open her drawing pad and contemplated what she would draw. Maybe..._ Hmm. _It was just an idea, but... Drawing the Cajun didn't seem so bad to her.

The very moment this thought occurred to her, she mentally berated herself for starting to be obsessed with him.

Gambit squinted at the sketchpad she held.

'Y' an artist, Roguey?'

'Yeah. Don't call me that,' she replied shortly.

He was about to deliver a witty reply when a gunshot shattered the silence and a bullet embedded itself in the tree trunk, just a few mere inches away from his skull.

Mystique lowered her smoking UZI. Her gun was hot, but her expression was cold. 'It's nice to finally meet you, Gambit,' she said coolly, her golden eyes boring into Gambit's. 'Lorna has said so much about you.'

Gambit sneered at the veiled threat. Raven was implying that she would out the truth about him and Lorna if he continued fooling around with her _and _Rogue.

Rogue's suspicious gaze went from Raven to Gambit and back again. She could feel the crackling tension between them. The air was charged with volatile electricity, and she was at the heart of the storm, even if she didn't know it.

'Come on, Rogue,' Raven snapped, never looking away from Gambit's challenging eyes. 'I have something to discuss with you,'

That sounded ominous.

'See ya around,' Rogue muttered to Gambit, who quelled the urge to reach after her as she left with Raven.

* * *

In the privacy of Rogue's room, Raven gave her the big news.

Rogue stumbled backwards onto her bed, barely believing what she'd just heard her mother say.

'You are to wed Bolivar Trask, two and a half months from now.'

* * *

**(1) Dedicated to Silver**

**I love cliffhangers.**

**Review! I don't post new chapters if I don't get any reviews for the previous one, because I'd like to know that someone out there -barring Silver- is actually reading this. **


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